J esus awakened their hope in the promises of God. They, in turn, received his words favorably and wondered what would become of "Joseph's son". Their hearts were hungry for the word of life and they looked to Jesus with anticipation and wonder. Do you look to Jesus with confidence and hope in the fulfillment of all God's promises?

1 John 4:19–5:4

Psalm 72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17

L uke 4:14-22 (alternate reading: Matthew 4:12-17,23-25)  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee , and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. (15) And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. (16) And he came to Nazareth , where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day. And he stood up to read; (17) and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, (18) "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, (19) to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (20) And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. (21) And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (22) And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

Meditation by Don Schwager

In Jesus we see the grace of God in action. His gracious words brought hope, joy, and favor to those who were ready to receive him. Where did Jesus began his public ministry? In his own land of Galilee where he was reared from his youth in Nazareth . His proclamation of the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah brought wonder to his kin and townsfolk. Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus awakened their hope in the promises of God. They, in turn, received his words favorably and wondered what would become of "Joseph's son". Their hearts were hungry for the word of life and they looked to Jesus with anticipation and wonder. Do you look to Jesus with confidence and hope in the fulfillment of all God's promises?

What did Jesus come to do for us? He came to set us free from the worst tyranny possible – slavery to sin and the fear of death, and the eternal destruction of both body and soul. God's power alone can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from  hopelessness and the fear of annihilation. The gospel of salvation is "good news" for us today. Do you know the joy and freedom of the gospel?

"Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams. Through the gift of your Holy Spirit you bring us grace, life, truth, and freedom. Fill me with the joy of the gospel and inflame my heart with love and zeal for your kingdom and your will for my life.

Supplementary Reading

tHE proMISE

And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life. – 1 John 2:25

“You came for me,” the girl said in disbelief as she sobbed convulsively. Embracing his daughter, the father replied, “I told you I would.” This is one of the scenes that struck me in the action film Taken. The movie is about a retired CIA operative in the US who did everything to save his daughter from human trafficking in Paris . Earlier in the film, the girl, in order to get her father’s consent for her to travel in Paris , made a promise that she would call and let him know of her itinerary. But she forgot all about the promise when she arrived in Paris until she was taken by the syndicate involved in human trafficking.

We get so used to broken promises around us that it’s easy to take for granted the significance of God’s promise to us — eternal life. It’s not just about the absence of death but, more importantly, it’s about having a life of glory in union with God. Many, if not all of us, desire this kind of life, but sadly only a few are able to remain faithful to God. Jesus came to save us. All that He asks of us is to call on Him at all times and abide in Him. Let us not be overwhelmed with the trivial promises of the world. There is a life far greater than what we have now and a promise that will definitely be fulfilled. --- Jane Gonzales (mjsg2468@yahoo.com)

rEflECtIonS:

The future glory that awaits us is far beyond anything we have yet experienced. Would we be content with less when we can get the best?

Thank You, Lord, for the promise of eternal life. Help me remember that nothing in life has value compared to a life of glory with You. Amen.